Is David Cameron's 'big society' just repeating the same mistakes?

A lot can change in 30 years, including Margaret Thatcher's assertion that there is "no such thing as society" being replaced by David Cameron's promotion of 'big society'. But scratch the surface of prime ministerial statement and slogan and what we find is a rebranding and relabeling, yet open the can and the contents look remarkably similar. Essentially it is empty.

But the rebranding is clever. We have moved from matronly Thatcher to matey Cameron, and from a prime minister who was seen as cold, sharp, hard and steely to one who is warmer, softer and more cuddly. Yet the antecedents of current policy are similar, the rationale given is the same, and the consequences are likely to be replicated.

In the late 1970s the new Thatcher-led Conservative government had to respond to an economic crisis. Its roots were partly from years before when the oil producing countries hiked up their prices and when the International Monetary Fund drove a bargain which demanded big cuts in public expenditure. The monetarists were let loose and gave an intellectual foundation for a new rampant right-wing politics. Now take 2011.

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01 April 2011 – Massive boost for the Big Society as almost 300 voluntary sector organisations named as part of the Work Programme

April 1st 2011 "Almost 300 voluntary sector organisations are to be part of a massive national programme to tackle long term benefit dependency in what will be a massive boost to the Big Society, announced Employment Minister Chris Grayling today". Is this the boost that U.K needs to help them accept and be part of The "Big Society"? This shows that despite the cuts (which are at the front thought of everyone) there can be something good to work towards. Volunteering is never easy when money is so tight though maybe as a community and voluntary organisations this could make the experience worth while, and dare I say help us.

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The Big Society is something that should be thought about because in theory it is a great idea to help communitues come together. Though with such a bad economic climate motivation is lacking so with help from Voluntary organisations, this could be that forward step needed to create that motivation. The people of Britain can't help but feel they are losing out with these cuts but why not try and get involved into the "Big Society". Just maybe this could benefit us more.

When the economy picks up and the spirit of Britain has risen to it's peak, we know that our community has also got it's high spirit.

twitter: Reform big society
This was launched April 1st so follow this for the lastest news and topics.

Read this for more info on the Reform of The "Big Society"

Quotes from David Cameron about his 'Big Society'

"What this is all about is giving people more power and control to improve their lives and communities."

"The Big Society is about changing the way our country is run. That's why the Big Society is here to stay."
You can call it liberalism. You can call it empowerment. You can call it freedom. You can call it responsibility. I call it the Big Society”

David Cameron describing the "Big Society spirit" of a group of nurses:

"It's the spirit that I saw in a group of NHS maternity nurses in my own constituency, increasingly frustrated by the way they were managed and handled, who wanted to set up a co-op to use their own expertise, their ideas, their contacts to provide a better service for the mums in their area."

But here he intensifies that effort:

"Workers in our public sector have been bossed around to breaking point...We're giving nurses, doctors, teachers and police officers much more power over the work they do - scrapping the rules that held them back and giving them the chance to come together, form co-ops and take over the running of public services."

“We need a social recovery to mend the broken society – to me, that’s what the Big Society is all about,”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF DAVID CAMERON’S ‘BIG SOCIETY’?

An obstacle to the "Big Society"

As I was browsing the web for a story that shows the Big Society with in April, and I found this local story of a local council dismissing the chance for the"Big Society" to take place. Toby Young wrote a piece for The Spectator and i feel that this would be interesting for you to read. To read click here
This shows that even those who want to be involved sometimes cannot due to what ever circumstances, though I believe that these people should be encouraged to get involved and not turned away.

The local Labour MP, Glenda Jackson – who might have welcomed her constituents’ initiative – has said this:

“volunteers could not cope with the complexity of running public libraries with no funding from councils.”

Make of that as you wish and maybe cash injections are needed but if the local council cannot provide then who will? Has the "Big Society" started to go weak at the knees.

Stay up to date with the Big Society news right here.

The Big Society- A View from the Frontline-short version

This is from Youtube to give a little idea of what A view from the Frontline is about.

The big society short film.

this part of a press release on a short film made on the big society.

Shown on March 28th 2011

"Key points made to national and local government by frontline organisations:

• Involve the voluntary and community sector in policy making not just delivery

• Make the commissioning process less bureaucratic

• Recognise that volunteers require support and don't come 'free'

• Enable long-term unemployed to volunteer for more than 16 hours a week

• Speed up CRB checks

• Recognise that payment by results is not always practicable - prevention cannot be measured

• Recognise that charities must be business-like

• Recognise that stability of funding is essential in this period of transition"

to read the full press release click here

Volunteers don't come "free"

March 28th 2011

A documentary film being launched in Westminster today is calling on the Government to work with the Big Society.

The film, Big Society: A View From The Frontline, was commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to give frontline managers and volunteers the opportunity to give their view of the Big Society.

Andrew Barnett, Gulbenkian Foundation director, said: "We have heard a lot from policy makers and thinkers about the Big Society but very little from those who are working on the ground and the beneficiaries of their work.

if you want to read more click here